Shootings up 130% in New York City

NEW YORK - Police statistics show that murders in New York City are up 23% in the first 6 months of 2020 versus the same period in 2019.  There were 181 murders in the first six months compared to 147 the previous year.

Shootings were up 130% for the month of June, according to the NYPD.  In June there were 205 shooting incidents in New York City compared to only 89 in June 2019.  The number of shootings rose in every borough, according to NYPD officials.

Along with shootings and murders, burglaries were up 118% and auto thefts were up more than 50%.

The NYPD blames two things for the spike, bail reform, which quickly puts criminals back on the streets and directing police resources to react to a wave of protests that have taken place across the city for the past month.

"The sharp increase in shootings and violence in New York puts innocent people at risk and tears at the fabric of life in our city," NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a statement.

The number of parolees involved in shooting incidents or murders is at a 15-year high, according to the NYPD.

Also, more than 2,000 people arrested in a crime with a gun recovered in the first six months of the year had cases against them that remain open in the courts.

The violence has continued in July.  Over the long holiday weekend, there were 11 murders and more than 60 other people who suffered gunshot wounds.

The NYPD has made approximately 40,000 fewer arrests in 2020 versus the same period last year.

Currently, the number of parolees involved in shooting incidents or murders is at a 15-year high. Meanwhile, from January through the end of June, more than 2,000 people arrested in a crime with a gun recovered had cases against them that remain open in the courts.

The NYPD is facing deep budget cuts that have led to a class of 1,163 recruits being canceled. The department has also seen an increase in retirements.